{"id":37628,"date":"2023-10-07T09:00:31","date_gmt":"2023-10-07T07:00:31","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.radiotimes.com\/?p=1900571"},"modified":"2023-10-07T09:46:03","modified_gmt":"2023-10-07T07:46:03","slug":"charmed-was-a-silly-show-and-that-made-it-magic","status":"publish","type":"rss_feed","link":"https:\/\/c01.purpledshub.com\/radiotimes\/rss_feed\/charmed-was-a-silly-show-and-that-made-it-magic\/","title":{"rendered":"Charmed was a silly show \u2013 and that made it magic"},"content":{"rendered":"

25 years on, we look back at the magic of Charmed. <\/p>

By Melissa Parker\n \t\t<\/p>

Published: Saturday, 07 October 2023 at 07:00 AM<\/p>

\n\n

Sometimes, we all need to experience uninhibited handmade hockiness \u2014 with an edge. For 25 years, Charmed, the iconic TV series about three powerful sisters, Prue (played by Shannen Doherty), Piper (Holly Marie Combs), Phoebe (Alyssa Milano), and later, Paige (Rose McGowan), collectively known as The Charmed Ones, fighting demons and navigating love and life, has been providing just that.<\/p>\n

It\u2019s pop culture comfort food, diamant\u00e9-encrusted, rose-tinted villainy, \u201990s shabby chic \u2014 feminism 101.<\/p>\n

I say that with immense love, admiration and gratitude because, as a disabled child, that attitude and space helped me endure. Even today, at 31, I still revisit \u2014 because who doesn\u2019t occasionally crave the comfort and loving embrace of home?<\/p>\n

The manor, with its mouldings, enormous windows, staircase and stained glass, forms the very foundation of this world. And then there\u2019s the decor\u2014the quilts, the rugs, the lampshades, the dollhouse manor, the family photos, the overstuffed, mismatched, rumpled furniture, and an overall lived-in look which oozed comfort.<\/p>

I still yearn for that warm hug that the Charmed universe exudes. The show has crafted a vivid and enchanting world full of a unique female lineage and mythology, along with relatable growing pains \u2014 it has a knack for reminding you that you\u2019re human and letting you lick your wounds about it.<\/p>\n

Its power also lies in its ability to seamlessly blend the female experience with raw, sincere human emotion and mythic, surreal, and silly. It also delved into important themes such as love, loss, and personal growth.<\/p>\n

Prue\u2019s sober burden of responsibility as the elder sister after losing both her mother and grandmother, Piper\u2019s desire for a life outside of magic, Phoebe\u2019s relationships and later search for love while balancing her career and studies, and Paige\u2019s introduction and her eventual search for her individual identity.<\/p>\n

As \u201990s fashion gave way to tighter clothes and glossier lips, they were transported through time and past lives, alternative universes, underworlds and other worlds often filled with impossibly attractive populations, playing roles such as genies, mermaids, queens of the underworld, and warrior princesses.<\/p>\n

\"Alyssa\n<\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/source><\/picture>\n<\/div>
Alyssa Milano, Shannen Doherty, And Holly Marie Combs in Charmed.<\/span><\/figcaption> Getty Images<\/i><\/span><\/div>\n

One moment they were wearing superhero costumes; the next, Uncle Phil was an Elder (James Avery), or there was a witch-Whitelighter affair, and sometimes, they donned full-on leather getups or a Ms Hellfire ensemble. Piper channelled her inner \u201cCoyote Ugly,\u201d and then they became reality TV stars. Paige tapped into her Evil Enchantress past self, and the iconic Golden Gate Bridge was often in view.<\/p>\n

Interwoven, there were also compelling evildoers. Julian McMahon as Cole Turner\/Belthazor\/The Source of All Evil \/Husband\/ Ex-Husband of a Charmed One, and Barbas (played by Billy Drago), the Demon of Fear, who could pop up and mine all their old and developing near-the-knuckle fears \u2014 with small moments of sneering that twisted the knife even further.<\/p>\n

Nowadays, escapism often takes the form of shows that feature more gritty settings and complex narratives with characters and plotlines that make us reflect on complex societal and political issues. However, not every program needs in-depth analysis or a supposed grand purpose to be valuable. Personally, Charmed has provided a distraction from real life and a guide for navigating it.<\/p>\n

The four women of Charmed have been an ever-present part of my life, accompanying me through every phrase. My relationship with them began when I was eleven, watching reruns after school while living in another country as an outsider with blonde hair and a wheelchair. It was like having older sisters whose clothes I wanted to borrow. I have never felt more confident, more assured, even if the sleeves were too long.<\/p>\n